160 Culinary Science and Hospitality Research (October 2015) Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 160-170 Review on Anti-Cancer and Anti-Imflammatory Activity from Rubus coreanus Miquel You-Na Song1, Heon-Ok Lee1, Geon-Min Noh2, Haeng-ran Kim2, Jeong-Sook Choe and Ae-Son Om1¶ 1¶Laboratory of Food Safety and Toxicology, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea 2Functional Food and Nutrition Division, Department of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Jeonbuk 565-851, Korea ABSTRACT: In accordance to the increasing number of death due to cancer and side effects of chemo- therapy, attention has recently focused on combined treatment of natural component and anti-tumor agent. Therefore development of safe and effective functional substances derived from natural materials is required. The emergence of various functional activities of Rubus coreanus Miquel, such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, etc. is continuously increasing its consumption. To utilize the above activi- ties, many products developed by using Rubus coreanus Miquel extracts in the areas of foods, liquors, and cosmetics and medicines. In this review, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory activity and patents of Rubus coreanus Miquel are summarized. Further studies are needed to search for development of functional material from natural origin and various application possibility using stem, leaf and fruit of Rubus coreanus Miquel. Keywords: Rubus coreanus Miquel, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, patent, review INTRODUCTION (Park EJ et al 2002). Therefore, interest in foods which have anti-cancer effects is continuously ris- In 2014, cancer is the number one cause of death ing(Peter B, Bernard L 2008). in Korea with 28.0%, where 149 of every hundred Furthermore, the reports of the correlation be- thousand people are dying from it and the death tween chronic inflammation and cancer sparked rate from cancer is continuously increasing(Jung et continuous research on dietary intervention to de- al 2015). Approximately 80～90% cause for cancer, crease inflammation reaction and then the risk of which is mainly caused by hereditary and environ- cancer(Aggarwal BB et al 2006). Inflammation is sup- mental factors, is known as radiation, virus, pro- pressed by the mechanism in which the activity of fessional carcinogen and food, smoking, drinking, nuclear factor-KB(NF-KB)is suppressed and in turn and other lifestyle factors(Kleinsmith LJ 2008; Kim SS decreased the production of inflammation related 1998). About one third of these cancer-causing fac- factors such as nitricoxide(NO) or prostaglandin E2 tors is preventative and decreases the risk of cancer (PGE2)(Sur YJ, Na HK 2008). The mechanism of many through food containing especially phytochemicals inflammation-suppressing substances with anti-in- ¶ Corresponding Author: Ae-Son Om, Laboratory of Food Safety & Toxicology, Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea, Tel. +82-10-3894-8255, Fax. +82-2-2220-1856, E-mail: aesonom@ hanyang.ac.kr Culinary Science and Hospitality Research, Volume 21, Number 5 161 flammatory effects is currently based on this theo- search, it showed that national production area in- ry(Jun YK et al 2012; Kim DH et al 2011; Lee HN et creased from 23.5 ha in 1998 to 3,368 ha in 2011 al 2011; Yoon TS et al 2010; Han JY et al 2009). and production increased greatly from 12,282 M/T Meanwhile, the most widely used cancer treat- in 2008 to 17,169 M/T in 2011. However, the reality ment is surgery, which is followed by radiation the- of the increase in consumption is usually in pro- rapy or chemotherapy to aid in cancer cell death cessed foods such as jam, beverages and alcoholic (Downs-Holmes C, Silverman P 2011). However, the beverages. Therefore, there is a need for a solution anti-cancer drugs used in chemotherapy are repor- search to apply it not only in processed foods but ted to not only killing cancer cells but healthy cells. as a naturally derived biologically active substan- They can cause side effects such as kidney toxicity, ce(Choi HS et al 2006). liver toxicity, hair loss, and loss of bone marrow This study organized the research results of R. cor- functions, etc(Links M, Lewis C 1999; Lewis C 1994). eanus’s medicinal properties, especially its anticancer Therefore, to decrease the anti-cancer drug side ef- and anti-inflammation function. Also, it is aimed to fects, a more safe and effective co-administration of be a base data for naturally derived biologically ac- natural substances is gaining attention(Xu Y et al tive substance development and application possi- 2012; Tokalov SV et al 2010; Cipk L et al 2003). bility search of R. coreanus product by analyzing ex- Rubus coreanus Miquel(R. coreanus), a type of rasp- isting patent application trend. berry, which is a member of the Rosaceae family, which has been used as medicine since the ancient Anti-cancer Activity of Rubus coreanus Miquel times and is known to have the most remedial effect Various study results of R. coreanus anti-cancer ef- in the berry family has been used medically since fects are shown in Table 1. ancient times. The flower blooms in May to June To find the prostate tumor growth inhibition ef- and in July to August, the fruit ripens into a red col- fects of R. coreanus, Baek EY et al(2009) studied to or and fully ripens into a black color. The unripen find the prostate tumor growth inhibition effects of fruit is what oriental medicine calls bokbunja(An YH, R. coreanus using prostate cancer cell strain PC-3 im- Kim YH 2007; Bae GH 2000; Jeong JS, Sin MK 1996). planted mice. All the mice were fed unripe or fully R. coreanus contains as its nutrients, carbohy- ripe fruits and their prostate tumor size significantly drates, proteins, fats and fibers(Cha HS et al 2007; decrease in both groups compared to those not fed Cho SH et al 2004). It is abundant in minerals such R. coreanus(p<0.05). Decrease in prostate tumor is as phosphorus, iron and calcium and is especially assumed to have resulted from R. coreanus activat- rich in organic acids and vitamin C. Additionally, it ing caspase-3, a main gene for cell death, leading is known to have phytochemicals, various vegetable to cell death process(Baek EY et al 2013). derived bioactive components, like anthocyanin, fla- Additionally, Kim Y et al(2012) reported that un- vonoid, tannin, quercetin and phenolic acid(Yoon I ripe R. coreanus and ethanol extracts of unripe fruit et al 2003; Kim MS et al 1997; Kim MS et al 1996; (EUR) suppresses the growth of androgen-depen- Pang KC et al 1996; Lee MW 1995; Lee YA 1995; Lee dent LNCaP cell and androgen-independent DU145 MW 1995). These substances result in R. coreanus to cell. As the result of EUR administration, the ex- have antioxidant and antibacterial effect, anticancer pression of the proliferating tumor cell markers and and anti-inflammatory effect, anaphylaxix suppre- cancer gene like proliferating cell nuclear antigen ssion effect, anti-angiogenesis effect, allergy related (PCNA) and cyclin D1 and CDK4, decreased. Its ef- illness treatment effect, hepatitis type B (HBV) sup- fects were greater in LNCaP, an androgen-depend- pression effect and other various biological activi- ent prostate cancer cell compared to androgen-in- ty(Jeon YH et al 2009; Kim S et al 2013; Park MC dependent DU145 cell. Furthermore, EUR increased et al 2007). pro-apoptotic protein(Bax) and decreased anti-apop- As biological activity of R. coreanus like these re- totic protein(Bcl-2, Bcl-xL) inducing mitochondria ceive attention, consumption has continuously in- mediated cell death. crease and according to National Statiscial Office re- Meanwhile, Choung MG, Lim JD(2012) examined 162 Review on Anti-Cancer and Anti-Imflammatory Activity from Rubus coreanus Miquel the suppressing effect of cell growth by anthocyanin results showed R. coreanus suppressed growth acti- fraction of Rubus coreanus, AFRC, in human cancer vity in AGS and Kato3 cells and induced high DNA cell strains: prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney damage effects. When 100 μg/mL of buthanol fr, and renal cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia. The re- ethyl acetate fr. was treated in AGS, it showed high sults showed 50% suppression of cancer cell growth growth impediment at 77-87% and 46-60% growth in prostate cancer cell strain(LNCaP) and lung cancer impediment in Kato3. Furthermore, the result of cell strain(A549) was shown at the concentration of comet assay to observe DNA damage showed R. cor- 27.6 and 16.4 μg/mL, respectively. eanus extract treatment induced DNA damage in On the other hand, AFRC of leukemia, colorectal stomach cancer cells, especially in buthanol fr. It cancer, and kidney and renal cancer cell strains showed approximately 50% DNA damage within 1 showed cancer cell growth suppression did not oc- hour of treatment. cur at over approximately 500 μg/mL, thus conclud- In addition, Jeon YH et al(2009) studied if R. co- ing it did not have growth suppression effects. reanus ethanol and hot water extract had cancer cell Furthermore, when AFRC was processed in normal growth suppressing effect on human uterine cancer human liver cell strain 293, growth suppression was cells(HeLa) and liver cancer cells(Hep3B). In HeLa under 5%, implying high safety and stability on nor- cells, of 100, 200, 400, 600, 700 μg/assay R. coreanus mal cells. It can conclude that AFRC does not affect extract concentration, 700 μg/assay concentration normal cell growth and displays high anti-cancer ac- showed high growth suppression with over 65% tivity on specific cancer cell strains.